While many companies are looking to expand their outsourcing relationships to include multiple providers, an inverse trend appears to be occurring during the supplier selection process.

Oddly enough, the drivers are the same -- to increase flexibility and reduce costs.

Government agencies, which have notoriously complex procurement processes, appear to be taking the lead in this area. Some government IT projects reportedly fail because the requirements change during lengthy supplier vetting processes. (Few technology buyers want to turn back the clock and start the entire process over again when this happens.)

Engaging more help from outside consultants and using internal panels to pre-qualify a limited number of suppliers are among the alternate procurement approaches being tried.

Sounds logical to us. Processes are supposed to be your friend, not your enemy. If you find yourself looking for creative ways to circumvent them, chances are they are no longer doing you much good.